Linux

A good and free media player for linux

2008-09-24T03:57:00.000-07:00

What is a good and free media player for linux?

I recommend MPlayer for video and Rhythmbox for audio. Both are available in the Synaptic Package Manager.

Boot a Linux OS from a Zune

2008-09-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

Is there any way to boot a Linux OS from a Zune?

No, but you can just burn the Linus OS portable onto a CD, then when starting press F12 or something to boot from disk.
Thats probably the easiest way. I think you can boot from a flash drive aswell, but I'm not 100% sure. If you can I think the zune would work. Look up booting from flashdrives.
Also, Zune/mp4s don't have heavy duty harddrives like a computer, so it's not best to be running a 200mb OS off it thats constantly reading, it could be damaging for your zune.

How hard is it to use Ubuntu Linux?

2008-09-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

How hard is it to use Ubuntu Linux?

Programming has no more to do with Linux than it does with windoze.

Linux Magazine (Linux Pro Magazine in the US) just came out with a Ubuntu Special with a 4 gig DVD of the latest release - 8.10. The mag is full of articles on how to install, how to find help, how to use Ubuntu and the major packages.

If you were truly savvy you whould find Ubuntu drop-dead easy. Your questions lead me to believe you would find the mag I refer to useful.

Define my laptop on linux

2008-09-07T05:10:00.000-07:00

How to define my laptop on linux?

Normally when you install Linux it will auto detect all the hardware that can be supported. Some strange hardware simply won't work, it simply won't have a driver available. It's often the wireless LAN cards that suffer from that fate so you may need to use a Cat5 cable to wire your machine to your home/SOHO router to get connected to the internet (until you can find a wireless LAN driver).

If you've got as far as completing the installation and the machine boots OK then you're well on the way.

Download linux to a blank computer

2008-09-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

How to download linux to a blank computer?

The site below has info and links for more Linux distributions then I've ever heard of. So pick a distribution, follow the Download Mirrors link and the download links on the following page(s) and you should find ISOs you can download and burn to CD or DVD depending on what type of disc that particular ISO is for. (If you can burn DVDs a DVD version might be easier 'cause it may require multiple CDs for a CD version.)

http://distrowatch.com/

Note that Live CD versions are not always intended to be installed, they're intended to be booted from the CD drive.

Measure the performance of an Linux C application

2008-09-07T04:49:00.000-07:00

How do i measure the performance of an Linux C application?

You can measure CPU performance using /proc/cpu. You can measure ethernet performance by using /sbin/ifconfig . You can use df to track data written to a filesystem/mountpoint. Take a before and after snapshot using the tool of choice and determine the metric you wish to measure.

Install linux to one of my two hard disks

2008-09-07T04:11:00.000-07:00

How do i install linux to one of my two hard disks?

I have two hard drives in my laptop one is Windows, one is Linux.

You can also try Linux by booting a live CD. It will let you try Linux without installing anything. Try Ubuntu Linux.

Sync the Linux system password and the Samba password

2008-09-07T04:08:00.000-07:00

How to sync the Linux system password and the Samba password?

Hopefully, Samba is configured with PAM. If so, follow the instructions below.

Make sure this is set in your smb.conf.
=======
unix password sync = true
pam password sync = true
=======

Navigate to /etc/pam.d/system-auth and add this after the "pam_cracklib.so" line.

=======
password required /lib/security/pam_smbpass.so nullok use_authtok try_first_pass
=======

Install Linux on my PC and Keep Windows

2008-09-07T04:07:00.000-07:00

Can I install Linux on my PC and Keep Windows?

Yup. You can either purchase another drive, or repartition your existing one. Use the GParted Live CD if you want to shrink an existing partition to make space. The Ubuntu install will do the rest.

Is it legal to install linux on an Xbox 1?

2008-07-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

Is it legal to install linux on an Xbox 1?

Legal? Well you won't get sent to jail for modding your Xbox. It's your property, you can do what you want to with it. So it's not illegal.

Like the others said though, if you game online with it, you may get caught with a modded system and banned from Xbox Live. You won't get the FBI sent to your house or anything though.

Remove windows 2000 and install linux

2008-07-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

How to remove windows 2000 and install linux?
Find a formatting/drive scrubber program.. and format the drive or scrub it (write with zero's). Linux comes in a .iso format program.... make sure you burn it with an iso burning program onto a cd so it boots up into the disk to install it.

The best linux distro for n00bs

2008-07-21T23:42:00.002-07:00

What is the best linux distro for n00bs?

Well, I am not a Linux guru, but have played with it some. Many noobs like Knoppix because you can boot it from a CD on your otherwise Windows machine and play with all the Linux stuff without commiting to fully installing it, but you can install it if you wish.

The one that have been hearing about a lot lately is Ubuntu. Lots of good reviews. I would go that way first. You can also run it off a cd to play with it. There is also Kubunto which is Ubuntu except it has the KDE instead of Gnome. I prefer KDE myself.

I am running CentOS x86-64 as a file server in our office. Seems pretty solid.

The difference between linux and windows 2003 hosting

2008-07-21T23:42:00.001-07:00

What's the difference between linux and windows 2003 hosting?

It depends on what you want from your web site. The Linux server will be more secure for your site. If you want to connect to a database you will need to learn a bit about MySQL (probably) and writing PHP web pages. The Windows server will be more prone to worms and malicious attack and you will need to learn MS SQL server and writing ASP web pages if you want to connect that to a database.
I prefer the Linux solution but others will tell you differently...

Rename a windows .exe file to work under linux

2008-07-21T23:41:00.001-07:00

How to rename a windows .exe file to work under linux?

Actually I don't think that this is possible. You can't just rename it. If the executable file is a result of a source code that you have compiled then you'd have to "port" the source code to Linux. That is you'd have to rewrite(or modify) the source code so that it's Linux compatible. Part of the reason is that an executable file has in it calls to functions which are found in libraries or header files that are platform(operating system) dependend. For example the DirectX set of graphic library functions are only available on the Windows operationg system. Roughly it would be impossible to run a game like Quake that uses the DirectX library on Linux because linux doesn't have that library.

So, I don't think that this thing could be done in the general case.

Network Linux in with Windows xp computers

2008-07-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to network Linux in with Windows xp computers?

yes any version of linux can be part of a windows network. And vise versa. You will not have any issues. Well unless there are permission issues.

Are you wanting to just connect network drives or are you wanting to put the linux box on the windows domain? I did not follow your wording exactly.

The offical site to download linux

2008-07-21T23:39:00.000-07:00

Where is the offical site to download linux?

There is no "official" linux.

There are many different distributions or 'flavors' of linux. some are easier to learn than others. some are on CD some on 2 or more.

When I was interested in Linux I went to www.linuxiso.org

That site has downloads for 15 or 20 distributions of linux and links you to the official download site for that particular distro. I would recommend going there first.

Before you download and install any distribution make sure that all your hardware and software is compatible and download ALL the necessary drivers before you make the big switch to linux or you will be in a world of hurt trying to find these drivers after the face, especially if the driver you are looking for is for your video, keyboard, or internet.

Linux can be good to learn and has advantages over windows XP and possibly over Vista as well such as security, lack of viruses, and stability.

The best linux distribution

2008-07-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

What is the best linux distribution for this computer?

Have tried PuppyLinux before?

http://www.puppylinux.org/user/viewpage.php?page_id=1

When I said it required 128 MB of RAM, I wasn't being exactly clear. What Puppy does is loads itself, most of the contents of the CD, into RAM, so that they are faster and don't have to be loaded from the CD. The interface is designed to be somewhat similar to Windows 95. I've never installed it to a hard drive, but it should be possible, and from there it would be even faster.

http://www.puppylinux.com/hard-puppy.htm

Run multiple commands on a Unix/Linux system without a GUI

2008-07-21T23:36:00.002-07:00

How to run multiple commands on a Unix/Linux system without a GUI?

Try to use screen (if it is installed on your system -- read man 1 screen).

You can
- create a new "window" with Ctrl-A c
- kill a "windows" with Ctrl-A k
- switch between "windows" with Ctrl-A and Ctrl-A
- you can detach the screen (run in background -- you can even logout -- your jobs will still run): Ctrl-A d
- reattaching:
$ screen -r

That's only for starters. Read the built-in help: Ctrl-A ? and the manual for more information.

Of course you can work with background jobs too, but it will be a quite demanding task when you are juggling between 4 or 5 jobs.
It gets even more complicated when you're using && and || operators or redirections.

You can send your job to the background with either "&" at the end of the line or just by pressing Ctrl-Z (stop) and the executing "bg" command (check your shells manual)
You can "retrieve" a background job by issuing the fg command.

Example:
- start 2 long running jobs:

$ ./compile &
$ ./update_doc &

The & operator marks the end of line, so you could actually use single line instead:

$ ./compile & ./update_doc &

- check the job list:

$ jobs

[1]- Running ./compile &
[2]+ Running ./update_doc &

$ "foreground" the first job and send it back to background

$ fg %1
Ctrl-Z
$ bg

kill the second job:

$ kill %2
[2]+ Terminated ./update_doc

Believe me -- you'll prefer screen ;-)

Edit:
yet another solution -- if you're an Emacs user -- just start your editor, M-X shell, voila! I know some hard-core Emacs users who actually _never_ leave their editor.

Take screenshots in linux installation

2008-07-21T23:36:00.001-07:00

How to take screenshots in linux installation?

In Gnome based distributions, Take Screenshot is under Accessories in the main menu. If you also look in keyboard shortcuts (open Control Center) you can make keyboard shortcuts for both entire screen or windows. Once again for Gnome, the command is gnome-screenshot.

Keep ssh from timing out in linux

2008-07-21T23:32:00.000-07:00

How to keep ssh from timing out in linux?
in server file
MAX_TIMEOUT=300
it is set there what you have to do is change that time if you can
but changing this time will affect server to work properly
you can use putty.exe for ssh in windows xp

What version of Linux should I try out as a beginner

2008-07-21T23:31:00.000-07:00

What version of Linux should I try out as a beginner?

SuSe 10.0 or 10.2 i would use 10.0 as you have to do some messing around with it to get the update manager to work right if you use 10.0 you dont have to do anything to it just install it and go how ever i would recomend using the KDE desktop environment it is fairly simple

Connect to linux with ubuntu and external dial up modem

2008-07-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

How to connect to linux with ubuntu and external dial up modem?

Could you say how you are running ubuntu? On a live CD or a hard disk install, and which version? Recent versions of it should recognise the modem as device dev/tty0 and install it. Pls let's have a bit more info and see if we can help.
P.S. Meanwhile you could try downloading and running scanmodem tool from http://linmodems.org/ which is incidentally a good site for all kinds of questions relating to modems and linux.

Buying and installing windows vista on a ubuntu computer

2008-07-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

How would I go about buying and installing windows vista on a ubuntu computer?

Unfortunately ... no you cant upgrade from linux to vista, but it is very straight forward, and surprisingly fast to install vista. when you insert the vista DVD, reboot the pc and make sure that your pc is set to read the dvd-rom drive on boot (this option will more than likely be in the bios settings, although some manufacturers let you do it from windows). vista will auto detect your current operating system, and ask you if you want to keep it or remove it, you make the choice and in about 20 mins you're up and running :)

Install Windows 2003 server in the linux system

2008-07-21T23:28:00.000-07:00

How do i install Windows 2003 server in the linux system?

I would disconnect the LINUX hard drive and install Windows 2003 Server on the other HD. Once Windows 2003 is configured - disconnect that HD and boot into LINUX and make this change:

You need to add one line to lilo.conf specifying where the Windows 2003 boot files are located and run LILO when the changes are complete.

There are many resources out there which provide detailed instructions for doing this.

Download and install programs on linux

2008-07-21T23:27:00.000-07:00

How to download and install programs on linux?

http://monkeyblog.org/ubuntu/installing/

Check tha above link to install program in ubuntu.

Program in linux are avaliable in many format like
1>source format (i.e. programming lanaguage), you have to complie to install it. Not for newbie like you. itis compress format like tar, .gz etc. This i think you are clicking, which open new windows to show extracted files etc.

2> .deb, .rpm format, it is format for debian or redhat linux which can installed by their package manager

3>the most easy and best method for beginner is to use ubuntu package manager, search for program , let it download and then install.

System → Administration → Synaptic Package Manager

Set up a Music Server for my LAN with Linux

2008-07-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

How to set up a Music Server for my LAN with Linux?

Samba is an excellent server suite and it works on Linux and Windows - at the same time. We use it at work, and I have built in to Ubuntu distro, but I have not configured or done any troubleshooting - mostly because it runs well.

It's a freebee so check out the Samba site

http://us3.samba.org/samba/

Install firewall and antivirus on linux?

2008-07-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

While running Linux from disc do I need to download and install firewall and antivirus?

Well, there have been a great many answers, some good and some bad. I like the answer where someone said "you don't need an antivirus and you might need a firewall", but that's not the whole story, either.

As with any computer running any OS (Operating System), you really need to be careful about what you download or run from the Internet. This is not just limited to executables, either; websites with Flash content or Javascript are also dangerous depending on the nature of the site. So, yes, you don't need an antivirus program in Linux if you're responsible about what you download / run. To the person that said that viruses "don't exist in Linux", you're completely wrong; viruses exist in all OS's, but they are MORE of a problem on Windows-based PCs. If you're looking to use Linux for an extended period of time, then I would either install an AV program or I would be especially careful about what I do on this PC to avoid AV problems.

Really, the firewall is much, MUCH more important than the AV, but the question should be "why" you need a firewall, not if. Ubuntu is good about not starting up with too many unnecessary or vulnerable services running; other Linux OS's like Gentoo start with sshd (Secure Shell service), for instance, that could be vulnerable. So, check and see what services are running and disable any that you don't need. Then, to increase the security on your ports with stateful packet filtering, you would have a couple options.

There are a number of firewall products for Linux, one of which was Firestarter, if I remember right. It has a graphical interface, so it's pleasant to the average user, and should be sufficient for your needs. If you're looking to delve deeper into Linux and learn how powerful command line can be, then you'll want to read up on iptables; I configure our Linux firewalls at work with iptables and it has a great number of options. Since it does have a reasonable learning curve, though, I'd give Firestarter a try.

Really, the only question you should ask yourself when wondering how secure your PC needs to be is "what kind of communication will occur to / from my system, and do I need any of those?". It takes a lot of reading and understanding about an OS to do security the right way... for the average person, a decent graphical firewall and some common sense should suffice, though.

The best online place to buy Linux server

2008-07-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

What is the best online place to buy Linux server, and what the best server brand?

a "linux server" is nothing more than an IBM compatible PC with Linux running as it's operating system.
Linux nowadays has drivers for most common hardware on the market, so as long as you stick with industry standard components (ASUS or INTEL motherboards, 3-com or d-link Ethernet, ATI or Matrox video, Creative labs sound card....you get the idea) You'll be fine. I just suggest you purchase the systems from a store that will pre-load the linux onto the units to your specifications so that if there are any issues, they can be solved before the unit is shipped.

Check my computers specs on Fedora

2008-07-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

How to check my computers specs on Fedora?

I am not much familiar with Fedora (I use Ubuntu), but there has to be some place in it. Anyway, Linux offers so much versatile help that you can know it from a Linux geek yourself. If you know how to use IRC, join a Fedora channel (must be something like #fedora ) and there you can chat with Fedora geeks and get solutions to your problems!

Get the Netgear WG511v2 LAN network PCMCIA card working in Linux

2008-07-21T23:16:00.001-07:00

Is it possible to get the Netgear WG511v2 LAN network PCMCIA card working in Linux?

Well maybe, this card uses the Atheros 5001X+ chipset you can see some of the driver information for these at http://users.linpro.no/janl/hardware/wifi.html

They say that card MAY work with the Madwifi driver,
http://sourceforge.net/projects/madwifi/

Give it a shot..not all wifi cards are supported in linux (the manfs. just dont get the idea we like linux.. So while you are at it shoot Netgear a note and tell them you want one. The more people asking the more likely we are to get them to support us.

The best languages to learn for linux

2008-07-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

What are the best languages to learn for linux?

If you're talking about linux kernel dev, C and C++. Application level development could be java, c, c++, and the window manager api's like kde or gnome. qt might help. Other than that, mono supports C# on linux and all the web languages/scripts work too.

for linux system admin stuff, python/perl/bash/sh/ksh/tch scripting will help a lot. text editors like vi or emacs will help you in the long run.

Make install packages for linux programs you make

2008-07-21T23:13:00.001-07:00

How to make install packages for linux programs you make?

Usually the formats for source code that is distro free are either compressed on bzip2 or tar.gz files. You may need filters capable of converting to these type of files in order to get the source code packed. Also you need to make a "configure" and "make" script (one of each) in order to get the software installed on the system in order to run it.

A program that listens on a port and copies files in Linux

2008-07-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

A program that listens on a port and copies files in Linux?

I like C++ better too, but Java would be a better choice, unless you are doing gigs of data as fast as possible. Easier to write, maybe 20 lines or less.

Java code example
http://forum.java.sun.com/thread.jspa?threadID=167156&start=0

Get internet working in Linux

2008-07-21T23:11:00.001-07:00

How to get internet working in Linux?

Unless your network hardware is very weird/old, you'll have drivers installed when you set up networking at OS install time. Linux has much better support for old and legacy cards than Windows. If your card is truly ancient, you might want to splurge the $6 it will cost to get a modern Ethernet card from 3Com or DLink. If you don't know your gateway and DNS settings, allow them to be obtained from your ISP via DHCP from your cable modem or DSL router. Almost all modern distros have a networking configuration tool. It will be under 'Configuration' or 'Preferences' or something similar from the main menu. Select the interface you want to configure (usually eth0) and tell it to get configuration data from DHCP. There might be a setting to activate the interface on boot; make sure it is selected. If your interface won't start up on boot, try typing 'ifup eth0' at the command line. To see what interfaces you have and what their settings are, try typing 'ifconfig' from a terminal window. To see what your machine thinks the gateway is, type 'route -n' from a terminal. The line you see with the Flags field set to UG is the next hop route i.e. your modem or DSL router.

If you're going via a firewall or internal router which is not acting as a DHCP server, you will need to set up your connection as a static IP address (you will also need to do this if you want to run your machine as an intranet server). For this you will need to know the address of the gateway (usually something like 192.168.1.1), the netmask (usually 255.255.255.0) and some DNS settings which you will need to obtain from your ISP. You would use the same graphical connection tool as for setting the system to get info via DHCP, except you choose 'static' for the interface you want and then enter the required settings.

Start running Linux Opp System

2008-07-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

I want to start running Linux Opp System. What computer is best?

Linux runs on many different processors, including intel 386 and newer(PC and latest Mac ), motorola 680x0 series, Powerpc(macs) Sparc 4s,4m,and 4u (Sun )

Most hardware is supported with the exception of Win-printers and Win modems. Some wireless cards are not support because the hardware makers do not releasing the techical specifications for the chipset.

Yes a normal PC can do the trick. You can get a used one that is a couple of years old, and more likely to be fully supported.

Change the color quality on Feather Linux

2008-07-21T23:09:00.000-07:00

How to change the color quality on Feather Linux?

Go to /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 and open it with any text editor available. Look for DefaultColorDepth and put it 32. Save and restart KDE.
Linux drivers can be found at this link:
http://www.linux-drivers.org/display.html
(if not already included in the distributions packages).

A free version of Linux that will run programs that Vista will not

2008-07-21T23:08:00.002-07:00

Is there a free version of Linux that will run programs that Vista will not?

Lots of Windows programs can be run in Linux using Wine. Check the AppDB to check if the programs you wish to use will work. Also, some of the programs you use might have Linux alternatives.

Connect to my Linux computer

2008-07-21T23:08:00.001-07:00

How to connect to my Linux computer?

if you just want to access a terminal session then configure SSH and use PuTTY to connect. If you want full control of your Linux desktop, then use VNC (comes in both Server and Client components and is cross platform - so yes, it does support Windows as a client)

http://www.tightvnc.com/

Make Linux more competitive with Microsoft

2008-07-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

What can be done to make Linux more competitive with Microsoft?

better software support from big name companies and bertter marketing.

Also, its partly the linux users faults. A lot of Linux die-hards give off the image that its the "geeks" operating system and anyone who doesn't use it is inferior. It needs to be touted as a USER-FRIENDLY alternative to microsoft.

Configure a Linux mail server

2008-07-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

How to configure a Linux mail server?

by default if linux is fully installed then sendmail comes by default configured on it . just make it start

and also change
Transfer
smtp 25/tcp mail # Simple Mail Transfer
smtp 25/udp mail # Simple Mail Transfer

smtp 26/tcp mail # Simple Mail Transfer
smtp 26/udp mail # Simple Mail

in /etc/services file.

then service sendmail restart
on command prompt as root login and

then execute your perl code . i am sure u wilget through.

Find a Linux compatible driver for a Linksys Wireless-G PCI Adapter

2008-07-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

Where can I find a Linux compatible driver for a Linksys Wireless-G PCI Adapter?

It depends on the Linux Distro you are using, but it may work out-of-the-box, no third party drivers needed. Try popping it in and see if it works. If that's the case, you're golden.

If not, then you can install NDISWrapper for your Linux distribution. It's fairly common so you should be able to find it for your distro. Once you install NDISWrapper, you can use the Windows driver that came with your Linksys card to make it work.

A yahoo messenger that will work for the software linux mint

2008-07-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

Can anybody find me a yahoo messenger that will work for the software linux mint?

In a nutshell, you can run it. Check out the following links.

http://messenger.yahoo.com/unix.php

Since Linux Mint and Ubuntu are "close cousins" check out this link as well
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=81895

Set up my own web server using Ubuntu

2008-07-21T23:02:00.002-07:00

How to set up my own web server using Ubuntu?

Setting up a web server (or any other server for that matter) is way too complex for this forum. Try the Apache web site (below) for installing and configuring Apache.

http://httpd.apache.org

Install Linux Gnome onto a machine with Windows NT

2008-07-21T23:02:00.001-07:00

How to install Linux Gnome onto a machine with Windows NT?

Gnome is a window manager (desktop), KDE is another desktop, and there are many others. Linux can run either - choose your distro, then worry about gnome. Ubuntu is by default installed with Gnome.

THe other post on the alternative distro is a good start for your current problems. www.google.com "your hardware ubuntu" would tell you about specific issues you can expect, and solutions!

Join the linux kernel development community

2008-07-21T23:01:00.001-07:00

How to join the linux kernel development community?

Try starting at http://www.kernel.org/ - they have a pointer to a related mailing list and discussions.

Setup star topology network with windows XP and linux OS support

2008-07-21T23:00:00.001-07:00

How do i setup star topology network with windows XP and linux OS support?

Draw up a logical map of how you want everything situated, then draw up a physical map of how it will be wired up, then go forth and prosper!

Windows would be easier to configure, Linux is more fun if you are into geeky stuff. what i do is dualboot my server and configure it for the same services in windows and linux.

in windows it has a shared printer and a shared folder for network fileserving, in linux i use samba for print server and file server services, i can also remote-desktop into both and i can ssh and ftp the linux side from the internet (soon the windows side too). and that computer has 2 nics so soon it will be a linux-router in linux and a windows internet-connection sharing router in windows. it also has a tv card so it is my automated TV recording box too, it automatically records shows and i can stream them over my network or burn dvd's and cut out commercials.

Load Linux that I downloaded from the internet onto a new computer

2008-07-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

How to load Linux that I downloaded from the internet onto a new computer?

Just download a Knoppix or Kubuntu ISO image, burn it to a cd or dvd and boot from that cd or dvd.
Make sure you use the 'burn image' when you burn the cd or dvd. Copying the file to the cd does NOT work - you will not be able to boot from that cd.

What is the best linux for my machine

2008-07-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

What is the best linux for my machine?

It could just be your desktop environment thats slowing you down. You may want to install XFCE and run that instead of KDE. As for other distro's these two are a sure thing:

DSL- Damn Small Linux! :) It's great and should be fast for you. http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

Or you could try out Knoppix if you have a cd-rom http://www.knoppix.org

Requirements to run Knoppix:

* Intel-compatible processor (i486 or later)
* 32 MB of RAM for text mode, at least 96 MB for graphics mode with KDE (at least 128 MB of RAM is recommended to use the various office products)
* Bootable CD-ROM drive, or a boot floppy and standard CD-ROM (IDE/ATAPI or SCSI)

Install windows Xp and Linux on the same computer

2008-07-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

How to install windows Xp and Linux on the same computer?

You can dual boot with windows and linux.

Here's a quick howto:

Install windows first! - depending on your hard drive - 20 GB is a good size for the primary partition for windows .. if your drive is very large you can use more if you want..

leave part of the drive empty and unformatted.. at least 20 GB
for linux and any additional software

After you get window installed - and all your drivers etc., - shut down - this depends on if you have an install CD for linux -

Before shutting down windows insert the linux CD and restart the computer to Boot from the linux disk. Your computer has to be setup to boot from CD to do this..

Then you can direct the installation to your unformatted partition space.. Just follow the installation and configuration directions after that. Most flavors of Linux will install a boot loader program that offers you a choice of operating systems after the installation is complete..

Configure windows xp and ubuntu linux to use two wireless nic's equally

2008-07-21T22:53:00.002-07:00

How to configure windows xp and ubuntu linux to use two wireless nic's equally?

Well, when a remote site responds to a TCP/IP request, it responds to ONE ip not multiples.
For this to work, both signals would have to reach the remote site at the exact instant! (they wont!)
The remote site would have to respond at the exact instant. (It won't and can't.)
The signals would both have to reach back to you at the exact instant. (They won't and can't)

TCP/IP connections use IP addresses to respond to and two addresses get two responses not ONE. In your depiction you will be sending from TWO public IP's (one for each modem) not one! So the OS's only use ONE WAN connection at a time else you make for a large traffic jam!

You can "load balance" (use one when the other is busy) but you can't combine unless you get a bonded set of lines from your ISP (which basically is ONE LINE!)

Just the way TCP/IP works! If you need more pipe, get a bigger one don't try using two.

What linux based os can i boot from a usb flash drive

2008-07-21T22:53:00.001-07:00

What linux based os can i boot from a usb flash drive?

Maybe you should start your linux/wireless adventure by answering one thing.
You stated "Oh andi don't know what wireless card i have if any ....".
I suspect getting a wireless connection would will be very difficult if you in fact have no wireless card. That bit of info might be something you need to resolve.

A good Linux OS that I can install on my windows 98 computer

2008-07-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

What is a good Linux OS that I can install on my windows 98 computer?

I'm guessing this computer doesn't have alot of Memory since it runs Windows 98. Ubuntu is not a good choice if you have less then 256 MB of RAM Xubuntu will work good down to 128 MB. If you have less than that I would recommend Puppy Linux.

http://www.puppylinux.org

The easiest Linux certification to pursue

2008-07-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

What is the easiest Linux certification to pursue?

Yes it is the easiest, and be a foundation for Linux knowledge - however like the other Comptia certifications they are only a foundation and must be built upon to get solid knowledge in the area. Walking into an interview and saying you are Linux+/Network+/A+ will only impress the HR Department but won't get you much with the IT department unless you're interviewing for the most entry level position they offer.

ubuntu linux sound wont work

2008-07-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

I installed ubuntu linux on my pc, but sound wont work. How do i fix it?

What you need to do is get acquainted with the Ubuntu help forums. There are lots of postings there from people who have had different problems. Sometimes sound, sometimes other things. Those forums will tell you what "GStreamer plugins not found means", and how to fix it.

Does the sound work if you boot from a liveCD? If so then it might be quicker/less painful to reinstall - that is not a major investment following a so-so install experience.

You don't say what your soundcard is, you don't say what your computer is. Go to the Ubuntu forums - they give you hardware specific fixit information.

Install programs on a linux which isnt conected to the internet

2008-07-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

How to install programs on a linux which isnt conected to the internet?
You need the source code and you can install the applications with no need for internet connectivity. You might need some dependency packages that need to be installed to have the software work on ur pc..

Try looking for an application that displays the dependencies so you can check if you got them or not..

To install the applications just use a command like:
make
make install

or something like that, i can't remember correctly :)

If it is a .deb file, then you just double click and it installs itself..
Check out the link i provided, it should give you a clearer look..

Access my hard drive from LiveCD

2008-07-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

How to access my hard drive from a LiveCD of Feather Linux?

If you just want to access your files and nothing else:

1) First you need to be the superuser. Go to a terminal and type "su - ". That will make you root.

2) Type "fdisk -l" (that's a lowercase L, not an uppercase i) to see your partitions. You may only have one, but if there are multiple partitions you will need to determine which one is your Windows partition (the one with an * is your boot partition).

3) Then you need to make a directory to mount your Windows partition in... type "mkdir windows".

4) Then you need to actually mount the drive. Type "mount /dev/sda1 windows", where sda1 is the name of the drive you found in step 1 that contains your Windows partition. Your Windows files should now be in windows.

You will have read-only permissions to the Windows partition. You can type "man mount" to show a full description of the mount command and its options.

Copy the last used command in linux comand prompt

2008-07-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

How do i copy the last used command in linux comand prompt?

use echo to print
echo !!

use redirection to dump to file
echo !! > last_command.txt

use two greater-thans to append a file
echo !! >> command_list.txt

copying to an environment variable depends on your shell. in csh, it'd be
setenv MYCOMMAND !!

but in bash it'd be something like
export MYCOMMAND=!!

Run executable files on Linux

2008-07-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

How to run executable files on Linux?

First, is the executable you're trying to run a Windows executable? If so it's not going to work. If it's a Linux executable file you should be able to run it by opening a shell, navigating to the executable's directory and running "./[executable name]". If that doesn't work you may want to check to see if the executable is indeed executable. Type ls -l on the command line and see if permissions on the file are something like r-x. If not you need to make the file executable by running chmod 544 [executable name]. I hope this helps.

Server load averages messaged in on linux servers

2008-07-21T19:49:00.001-07:00

What are server load averages messaged in on linux servers?

System load averages is the average number of processes that are either in a runnable or uninterruptable state. A process in a runnable state is either using the CPU or waiting to use the CPU.

My system has 1 CPU so 1.00 means the CPU is busy 100% of the time. That actually isnt all that bothersome. But a 2.00 means that there is a line wating to use the CPU (I can feel some lag). And a 6.00 means that something better finish what its doing to hog the system because people will complain soon

Get the internet on Ubuntu

2008-07-21T19:48:00.001-07:00

How do i get the internet on Ubuntu Linux?

Do you have the correct drivers for your wireless access card installed ? In my experience, I have had to install the windows drivers using a NDIS wrapper in order to connect.

How many Linux Distros have you got installed

2008-07-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

How many Linux Distros have you got installed on one Hard Drive?

Debian GNU/Linux unstable branch
FreeBSD 6.2
Debin GNU/Hurd K14

But I'm only familiar with Linux. The other two, I only installed recently. And what? K14 is now oldish. I'm still taking baby steps in learning to use it. Soon gotta upgrade to its latest release.

As for FreeBSD, I use it as a backup system. I know for sure that I'll mess up the other two so badly one day. So I put this FreeBSD as a backup system just to keep the PC running in that time. But not conversant with this as well. Many commands seem familiar, so looks a bit easier than GNU/Hurd.

Add Linux to my computer but not eliminate Windows XP

2008-07-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

I want to add Linux to my computer but I don't want to eliminate Windows XP. How can I do this?

Yes, you would need to create a new partition. Yes, you need a Dual Boot manager. NO, Linux probably won't be able to see the Windows XP NTFS partition.

Basically, what you are trying to do is silly. If you want to learn Linux, I recommend that you seek an old worn-out Pentium II class or better computer, and install Linux on that.

Good luck and Happy Computing!

The best version of Linux in your opinion

2008-07-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

What is the best version of Linux in your opinion and why?

I use ubuntu and I don't bother with Windows at all anymore. I dual-booted for maybe 6 months and by then I was far enough up the learning curve that anything I wanted to do, I could do in linux.

There are basically two good user-friendly linuxes: Debian-based, and Red Hat-based. Both make it easy to install stuff by using a GUI-based package system. Lots of other distros use one or the other system, though in fact it is easy to use both since the "alien" program converts packages between the two types.

Ubuntu uses the Debian (.deb) system. Fedora uses the Red Hat (.rpm) system. And no matter which one you use, you will use apt-get from terminal quite a bit, too.

I like Ubuntu because it has the most user-to-user support. It has an international, worldwide theme, and a lot of people using it. Linux progresses by the actions of trailblazers, intrepid hackers who figure out how to to something then tell everyone else how to follow. Ubuntu's forums are a rich source of information on how to do practically anything that has been done in linux. Whatever you want to do, it is likely that someone has done it before in ubuntu, and posted exactly how in the forums.

For this same reason, ubuntu is a very good choice for someone new to linux. There are plenty of places where you can ask noob questions and not get laughed at. You'll have a functional desktop, menu and window environment right after install, and most things will be easy to do right off the bat.

>edit< Gentoo is a mighty fast linux to install on a ps3, that's for sure. Installing ubuntu on a ps3 used to involve installing Gentoo first, then downloading ubuntu ppc.
It's extremely configurable, but since that involves having to compile everything you install, it's not good for a first distro

Have a Linux email server and a Microsoft web server on the same machine

2008-07-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Is there a way to have a Linux email server and a Microsoft web server on the same machine?

Absolutely...I have a setup similar to that.
Use VmWare Server:
http://www.vmware.com/products/free_virtualization.html
It's free... It allows you to have 'virtual machines' which is great technology.

I have a server that I built and have Windows Server installed and it's hosting a website. I have a virtual machine that is running Linux. It's a machine in a machine.

The only thing to keep in mind is to get plenty of RAM. I wouldn't go under a Gig of RAM as a bare minimum.

Install softwares downloaded from other sites to Linux

2008-07-21T06:25:00.001-07:00

How to install softwares downloaded from other sites to Linux (Ubuntu)?

save yourself a lot of hassles and use the package manager. Linux doesn't install software in the same way as windows. With windows,you just download the file and its all there. Run the setup executable and it installs. easy. With linux, there's the software (tar.gz etc) that you've downloaded and then there may be up to 5, 10, + packages that need to be installed so that the file can run. These include libraries, programming languages, etc. You also have to make sure you obtain the correct version of each dependency. It can be a real pain in the butt.

The package manager makes all the calculations for you. You just tell it what you want to install and it gets all the dependencies and sets them all up for you. Ubuntu has a great range of packages already available. Only go the downloading and installing non .deb files if you really have no alternative or if you can see that the dependencies required are either already installed or easy to obtain.

Linux differ from windows and mac

2008-07-21T06:24:00.001-07:00

How does linux differ from windows and mac?

the files aren't really different.. it's based on unix.. so yer its bound to be good ;-)

and remember OS-x is based on BSD

as for installing linux.. it has become a lot easier than when i started, when it used to be on 80 floppy discs.. there is LOADS of help regarding it on the web, even for new people.

The main thing about Linux i would say is stick to major brands of hardware, as they are supported and check the hardware compatibility list to make sure.

as for running windows software, there is a thing called WINE..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_vs._Lindows

might be an interesting read..

as for running OS-x software etc on a NIX machine.hmm never tried..

thing is theres a wealth of decent free software for linux/kde etc which are pretty good.

main reason i keep windows is that the programs I use for music are windows/os-x only..

Install linux on another hard drive

2008-07-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

How to install linux on another hard drive?

You can start here to choose a distro : www.distrowatch.com

I personally recommend Ubuntu (www.ubuntu.com), it is very user friendly and its user community forums are the Best and most active I have found bar none for answers and guides. I cannot stresss enough how great their forums and wiki are. If you need to know how to do it, the answer is probably there.

It should prompt you to install the grub boot loader (just be sure you read the prompts) which will allow you to choose which OS to boot into.

The current distro of ubuntu is 6.06,Dapper Drake, its comes as an installable live-cd. in other words, you can run it off the cd, or you can click the install icon on the desktop and follow the directions from there =) ..worth noting, running off of live cd is MUCH slower than installed, so don't judge it by it's speed in that setting. installed ubuntu with the GNOME desktop environment is very zippy! (but lets not start the GNOME vs KDE flame wars, just making an observation)

if you are patient you can sign up to have them ship you one, free of charge (they even pay postage), but its just a one-cd download, so not to big a deal (as opposed to some of the 3-6 cd monsters that are common these days)

Test speed of a cluster linux

2008-07-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

How do i test speed of a cluster linux?

Here's one site with a benchmarking tool,
http://www.haveland.com/index.htm?povbench/index.php

Over the years a test known as the LINPACK benchmark has become a gold standard when comparing performance. It was written by Jack Dongarra more than a decade ago and is still used by top500.org
http://www.top500.org/reports/1993/section2_7_2.html

Linux/Unix server OS for a file server

2008-07-21T06:21:00.002-07:00

What Linux/Unix server OS do you recommend for a file server?

Are you building this yourself or looking for a commercial solution? For commercial NAS solutions I tend to favor NetApp (historically built on a customized Solaris OS...not sure of the more recent appliances). They integrate well with NIS, NIS+, LDAP, and AD for authentication and support CIFS and NFS protocols. If you are looking for SAN based storage, I've only used StorageTek with Veritas software (both companies have been bought out since my dealings with them).

For home use, any Linux or UNIX based server would work well for you. Just use SAMBA to handle the CIFS protocol and you should be set. SAMBA is often included with various Linux/UNIX releases but can be downloaded separately if needed.

Oh, if you need to do the reverse (Linux/UNIX connecting to a Windows File Server) check out the Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX (SFU). Generally works for basic file sharing but if you have any rapid file access usage, you might encounter the dreaded Microsoft Windows file locking problem.

Taking off windows and using Linux

2008-07-21T06:21:00.001-07:00

Would taking off windows and using Linux void the warrenty on my laptop?

here's an excellent answer to your problem. try linux on disk (linux live) it runs from the cd so you don't have to install to try it out. check out knoppix http://www.knoppix.org/ . burn the knoppix disk, put it in the drive and restart the machine. thing is, because it runs from the cd drive, it might run a little slow. give it a try, though. and if you want, you can also install it to the hd. it's not too hard. do some research.
best of luck.

p.s. when you install to the hard drive, you can leave windows alone. it'll make a seperate partition for the linux install and when you boot up, you'll have the option to go to linux or windows.

A good distribution of linux to be used for science or engineering

2008-07-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

What is a good distribution of linux to be used for science or engineering?

Does not matter which distro you use, but since your new, i would suggest Ubuntu like the other person mentioned. It is easy to install and choosing packages afterwards is straight forward. i use Ubuntu and Gentoo for some of my engineering work and havent had trouble. I would recommend getting a book so that you can become familiar with the OS and there are a number of websites with tutorials

Boost a WiFi card's transmission and reception signal under Linux

2008-07-21T06:17:00.002-07:00

How do i boost a WiFi card's transmission and reception signal under Linux?

The operating system you use has nothing to do with your Wifi card's signal strength.

Try changing the channel your router uses to 11.
Get your computer and router closer to one another.
Upgrade to 802.11n instead of 802.11g.

The Wireless card is not the object in charge of your network. The router is the "brain" of your network. If you change the channel at the router, the wireless card will follow the router. If you change the channel at the wireless card the router may stop communication with the wireless card.

Linux, Windows, Mac, AIX, HPUX, SunOS, or Solaris, it doesn't matter.

The OS has NOTHING to do with the signal strength of your wireless network. From the OS standpoint, the wireless card you have is either functional or not. It's sorta working or it's almost got the correct driver does NOT exist from an OS standpoint. If you can use the wireless card at all, you have the correct driver installed. If the wireless card is not working you have two possibilities:

1. Install the correct driver.
2. Replace the defective wireless card.

There isn't a dial to pump up the volume on the network speed. If you have an 802.11 g network the fastest it can ever go is 54Mb/s. If you have 802.11g MIMO it can go 108Mb/s. If you have 802.11n it can go 300Mb/s.

Note that all of the above has very little impact on how fast you are able to use the Internet. The Internet connection is controlled by your ISP and usually a much slower connection than 54Mb/s. Average Cable Internet access for example is 6Mb/s. FIoS offers packages with 15Mb/s connections.

Deleting visited sites on linux

2008-07-21T06:17:00.001-07:00

How about deleting visited sites on linux? Without knowing the administrator of some visited sites?

Its doesnt matter if your using linux, you want to do that in whatever browser you are using to surf porn...i mean these sites you dont want him to see.

Just go into the browser settings and clear the cache, cookies and history.

BTW almosts any IT dept will be able to see sites you visited even if you clear your browser files....so dont be surprised if they already know.
2 months ago

The best distro of linux to learn programing and networking on

2008-07-21T06:16:00.001-07:00

What is the best distro of linux to learn programing and networking on?

They are all going to have basically the same tools available so my reccomendation is going with the one that you're most comfortable with or that you will best be able to get support for. If you have a good friend that uses Linux then use what [s]he uses. Find a local Linux users group and try to find out what most of them use, or at least what the friendly members of the group use.
Personally I love Ubuntu for the desktop, but I've heard some good things about Open SuSe. Both should be pretty easy to setup with a default graphical interface and ways to install new packages.

Linux deal with deadlocks

2008-07-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

How does linux deal with deadlocks. Does it ignore them, or implement some type of algorithm?

Deadlocks are ignored by linux OS

This link will clarify your doubts and give more information

http://www.kernel.org/hg/linux-2.6/?cl=26693

http://www.linuxlinks.com/Java/JVM/

http://linux.sys-con.com/read/36108.htm

Reinstall Windows if I have Linux installed

2008-07-21T06:14:00.002-07:00

How to reinstall Windows if I have Linux installed?

You already have Linux installed? Well if you want windoze it will overwrite your MBR and kill grub / lilo.

If you need windoze more than Linux, reinstall windows, and eventually get around to fixing grub.

If you need your computer, and Linux will give you the necessary features, read up on how to reinstall grub after installing windoze (before you reinstall windoze!). There is a program I have seen called supergrub (I think). Read up on that, it may be an easy grub reinstaller - I haven't read more than the headlines, so you have to go with that from here. Anyway read up enough to understand your options, and proceed.

Buy some sort of liscense to sell linux distros

2008-07-21T06:14:00.001-07:00

Do i have to buy some sort of liscense to sell linux distros?

I think it depends on what you are actually trying to sell.

If you intend to sell the Linux distro itself, then that is illegal, because you don't own it. In a nutshell, the GNU Public License prevents anyone from "owning" Linux. But at the same time, everyone is free to use it.

On the other hand, if you are selling the CDs or DVDs with Linux on them as a service, say to people that don't want to download it, then that's okay. Linux is okay to distribute, and you can charge for your distrubution costs. But you cannot charge for the software itself. And you have to make sure the licensing terms are included with the software.

Get more informations about writing a script on linux

2008-07-21T06:12:00.002-07:00

Where do I get more informations about writing a script on linux?

What kind of script?
If you are talking about Shelll Script, Perl Script, PHP Script, CGI or other, then it's pretty simple if you have Linux on your computer. It has useful examples and advanced help. Use commands as: man or info. You can also use your browser for reading man pages. If you don't have linux, why don't you try www.redhat.com?

Go from linux to windows

2008-07-21T06:12:00.001-07:00

How to go from linux to windows?

You'll probably need to purchase windows on cd and then install over your linux. If you have enough space on your drive, windows XP should give you the option of settup up a dual boot system. This way you can boot into linux or windows. If not you can simply reformat the drive and install windows over top of it.

Here is a good place to look for more detailed info.
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000574.htm

Run Ubuntuoff of a hard drive partition

2008-07-21T06:11:00.001-07:00

How to run Ubuntu off of a hard drive partition?
if you installed it, you should have a grub menu when the computer first starts, and unless you change things it will automatically start in Ubuntu. So, if it doesn't (start Ubuntu), you didn't (install Ubuntu).

If it doesn't and you didn't, try reinstalling Ubuntu again - but FIRST, read up on the process so that you understand it and can follow the steps. Guessing can result in some serious, serious problems.

How reliant are you upon Linux

2008-07-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

How reliant are you upon Linux?

Reliant more and more everyday, but not complete. Yet- Don't know when or if that'll be. Business requires me to run Windows, and some of my hobbies. However, I fully support the open source effort. Even though I have my fav distros, I won't diss much on another's choice. Cat, I almost understand what you are saying, just take out the Linux references and put in Windows and its the same old story, new character..... Same hate. Beating the terminal doesn't make you more effective. Ubu isn't Linux. Just a darn good distro that seems to be suprising everyone up the food chain. Linux users included.

Downlaod linux onto a windows 98 microsoft computer

2008-07-21T06:05:00.002-07:00

How to downlaod linux onto a windows 98 microsoft computer?

pop along to www.ubuntu.com
Download their bootable CD; and burn it to disc
Boot the system on the CD and let it run on the PC FROM CD to see if you get aloong, if OK it was an "install me now" button you can use

How to linux operating system

2008-07-21T06:05:00.001-07:00

How to linux operating system?

There's a lot of different Linux distros, you should try a few of them and decide which one you like. Since you mentioned in your previous question that you only have 128MB of RAM, I suggest you go with either Damn Small Linux or Puppy Linux:

Damn Small Linux:
http://damnsmalllinux.org/

Puppy Linux:
http://www.puppylinux.org/user/viewpage....

A few other popular distros are:

Ubuntu:
http://www.ubuntu.com/

Fedora:
http://fedoraproject.org/

Linux Mint:
http://linuxmint.com/

Mandriva:
http://www.mandriva.com/

Debian:
http://www.debian.org/

OpenSUSE:
http://www.opensuse.org/

Run Linux or Unix and Vista on my computer

2008-07-21T06:04:00.001-07:00

How to run Linux or Unix and Vista on my computer?

One option not mentioned so far and for me the easiest is similar to the option of an external drive. Install a second hard drive, it only needs to be a smallish one 20gig or above would be adequate. Install your Linux onto this and it is then completely independent of your Windows drive. Try the Micro Mart forum at www.micromart.co.uk where I am sure some of the guys will help you. You have to join up but it's completely free and they have some Linux wizards there. Hope this helps.

The procedure or command to start working on ubuntu

2008-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

What is the procedure or command to start working on ubuntu?

If you have never partitioned a hard drive or installed another OS before, as I suspect you haven't, I wouldn't go for installing it from a CD if you want a quick, snappy solution.

I would recommend someone as yourself to use software like Wubi. You can install and uninstall it just as you would any Windows Software, yet offers a full Linux experience.

http://wubi-installer.org/

Boot linux from a flash drive

2008-07-21T05:58:00.002-07:00

How to boot linux from a flash drive?

look into DamnSmallLinux they do a great job! it should boot right off of the flash drive if your bios supports it. if not, you can setup a floppy to start things off and then let the flash drive do the rest. and its only about 50mb. ive heard of puppylinux too, but never tried it.

http://damnsmalllinux.org/

Get Linux to work on my computer

2008-07-21T05:58:00.001-07:00

How to get Linux to work on my computer?

Ok, so you downloaded this version of Ubuntu, you burned it to a CD and now you're trying to boot from the CD, is that correct? Did you make the CD bootable? I'm guessing you didn't. The easiest solution to your problem is order the free CDs from their website: http://www.ubuntu.com/.

Set up a remote desktop to my Linux computer

2008-07-21T05:57:00.001-07:00

How to set up a remote desktop to my Linux computer?

VNC - it will work on Linux and Windows

you would most likely want to get TightVNC for your Windows PC, and get vnc4server for your Linux PC

Dual Boot Linux and XP

2008-07-21T05:56:00.000-07:00

How to dual Boot Linux and XP?

the GRUB boot loader will allow you to boot into either OS... there will be no slow down at all.

ubuntu/kubuntu etc. (and most other linux distros) install grub by default... ubuntu/kubuntu automatically allows you to resize your windows partition to dual-boot.

The other possibility, if you don't mind loosing everything in your windows install is to re-partition completely just for linux, install ubuntu, then install either virtualbox OSE, or vmware, install XP inside of vmware or virtualbox, and you can then open a windows session "inside" linux... the performance is a *little* slower, but not bad.

Add Linux to comptuer that already has XP on it

2008-07-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

How to add Linux to comptuer that already has XP on it?

Ubuntu is a great way to go, it will partition the free space on your drive. It is free, and they will even send you free CD's if you can't download it for some reason (if you are asking a question here, I assume you are already online). For me, the best part of Ubuntu is the community. There is a great community of people from around the world, that are very polite and always happy to help answer any questions that you may have: http://www.ubuntuforums.org

Even though Ubuntu is currently on version 5.1 (Breezy Badger), http://ubuntuguide.org which was written for version 5.04 (Warty Warthog), is still a great guide that is very helpful as well.

The Synaptic Package Manager makes it VERY easy to install additional programs, and most of them are free.

There is a live CD (which runs from the CD, but is slower), if you would like to try it without having to install it to your hard drive first:
http://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/5.10/

Give it a try, I am sure that you will like it. I installed Ubuntu as a dual-boot about 5 months ago, and I finally removed Windows about two months ago. I am here to stay.

A version of the Linux OS that is so smart it will install on any laptop easily

2008-07-21T05:54:00.002-07:00

Is there a version of the Linux OS that is so smart it will install on any laptop easily?

Try any Linux Disto LIVE CD, This way, you get to try out that Linux Distro without actually installing it onto your puter. If there's going to be any issues, it will show up with no harm done to your laptop's system. I installed Linspire Version 6 on my puter in, like 12 minutes, fully ready to go..Actually, sitting there on the internet, with the browser open. In all the months I've been using it..It's been just flawless, no issues whatsoever.The CNR feature is awesome when it comes to downloading new programs and, none of this reboot after you download/install the new program.
I enclosed the website for ur edification and, also a Distro site where you can compare all Linux O/S.(Over several hundreds available~!)

http://www.linspire.com/

Install wine on linux

2008-07-21T05:54:00.001-07:00

How to install wine on linux?

Which linux did you get. I pay no attention any more to mandriva and opensuse -- can't get them to work on my machines -- but Slackware, Debian, and Fedora all install it by default and Ubuntu is a Debian-derivative for this discussion. Gentoo has no default.

I won't go into slackware's pkgtools. Look on your install disks in any case. For Debian and its derivatives type a "sudo apt-get install wine" in a terminal -- and you may find it's already installed. For Fedora open a terminal, type su, then the root password when you are prompted for it, then type "yum install wine". If you're using gentoo then I believe it's emerge wine but if you're using gentoo why don't you know already?

Anyhow, once you have it look for it on your menu or just type it and the name of the windows vir^H^H^Hprogram you are trying to run. Y'know, wine quake.exe.

Add an IP address to a linux server

2008-07-21T05:53:00.001-07:00

How to add an IP address to a linux server?

This is a quick guide on adding IPs to a system manually. I would only suggest it if you are not using a control panel, such as cpanel, that has a feature to adds ips. If your main ethernet device is eth1 instead of eth0 simply substitute eth1 for eth0. Other then that should be pretty simple to follow, this should work on any standard redhat/centos based system.

Login as root then do the following to add a new ip address to any linux redhat based system. If you have cpanel there is a nice little ip management script that just lets you do it via WHM. For those without cpanel do the following:

cd /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts

Then as a usual precaution I would make a backup of the file
cp ifcfg-eth0 ifcfg-eth0.bak
(you wont need to do anything with the backup)

Then copy the config for your new IP
cp ifcfg-eth0 ifcfg-eth0:1

Then we need to edit the new config
pico -w ifcfg-eth0:1

The lines you need to change:

DEVICE="eth0"
to
DEVICE="eth0:1"

Then change the
IPADDR="xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx"
to be your NEW ip address (it will have your primary ip listed)

Once this is done, press CTRL + X
then press Y and

This will have saved the config for you and the interface is ready to be brought up. This is done with
/sbin/ifup eth0:1

Having done this if you type
/sbin/ifconfig

You should see something like
------code------
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:00:00:00:00:00
inet addr:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx Bcast:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx Mask:255.255.254.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:55818546 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:46167836 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
RX bytes:3299680715 (3146.8 Mb) TX bytes:1890963825 (1803.3 Mb)
Interrupt:11 Base address:0xd000

eth0:1 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:00:00:00:00:00
inet addr:NEW.IP.ADDRESS Bcast:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx Mask:255.255.254.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
Interrupt:11 Base address:0xd000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:241244 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:241244 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:66571100 (63.4 Mb) TX bytes:66571100 (63.4 Mb)
------/code------

If you then try to ping your new ip it should all work fine
This should also restart eth0:1 on a reboot as its a direct copy of the eth0 config. So checking for the ONBOOT="yes" in ifcfg-eth0:1 will ensure it DOES come back up on a reboot

Use linux in a laptop that uses windows xp

2008-07-21T05:52:00.002-07:00

How to use linux in a laptop that uses windows xp?

Hi, Linux is a Unix like operating system and is one of the last descendants on the original Unix operating system.

I use openSUSE and its probably the best I have used. Here r my reasons:

1. Very stable with less bugs compared to other systems like ubuntu. In fact I haven't encountered one bug in it.
2. Its the only linux system which is as polished as Mac OS X or Windows.
3. It has excellent documentation.
4. It looks good by default
5. Its very easy to use and has a GUI for everything unlike other Linux systems.
6. Hardware support is excellent in all.
7. Great community support as well.
8. Since openSUSE started the compiz fusion project which r the desktop effects then they have the latest ones on it.
9. Novell which is openSUSE's sponsors have a deal with Microsoft so there is better compatibility of file formats and it is the only Linux system which can open .docx files and stuff.
10. All the best and latest software is on it, and its very easy to maintain.

OpenSUSE is perfect for a new user as well as old ones.

OpenSUSE main page:
http://en.opensuse.org

Opensuse please read:
http://en.opensuse.org/Concepts

Opensuse Compiz fusion 3d effects:
http://en.opensuse.org/Compiz_Fusion

Opensuse nvidia guide:
http://en.opensuse.org/NVIDIA

The concepts page should tell u most of the differences in Windows and Linux, and it will give u a general idea about Linux.

If u want to know why Linux is better visit:

http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net

Trust me once u use SUSE u will forget about every other operating system.

You can run SUSE in a virtual machine if u use some software like vmware or virtualbox, a virtual machine will make linux think its on a separate system and will work from that while windows is on, but it won't work as well as a dual boot.

Contact me if u have any questions.

The comparison function of linux sort

2008-07-21T05:52:00.001-07:00

What is the comparison function of linux sort?

The default sort order depends on the value of LC_COLLATE.
If LC_COLLATE is set to C, sorting will be in ASCII order.
If LC_COLLATE is set to en_US, sorting is case insensitive
except when the two strings are otherwise equal and one has
an uppercase letter earlier than the other. Other locales
will have other sort orders.

The linux distro that specialized in gaming/geared towards gamers

2008-07-21T05:51:00.001-07:00

What was the linux distro that specialized in gaming/geared towards gamers?

You might be thinking of Games Knoppix, which is a variant of Knoppix. Here's a URL if you want to check:
http://www.games-knoppix.org/

Otherwise, I'd recommend you simply install one of the Debian Linux distros, such as Knoppix or Ubuntu and then just look on the Debian web site for the lists of packages and look under games. You could then install the ones you wanted to look at. Good luck.

Install a linux in the same computer that has already windows

2008-07-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to install a linux in the same computer that has already windows ?

yes you can install it on a separate partition or drive, if you dont have another partition you can use gpart to resize your windows partition and create a new one from the free space, but thats quite risky

some distributions will setup everything automatically and you will be able to select which os to boot from after youve installed it.

Install linux what happens to your programs

2008-07-21T04:46:00.000-07:00

When you install linux what happens to your programs?

Put very simply, you don't have to clear everything out, but your programs will still only be on the original operating system (like Windows XP). Allow me to explain...

When you install Linux, like openSUSE (http://software.opensuse.org/ - my recommendation), you are given two choices. The first one is to split the hard drive up between Windows which you already have and the new Linux (giving you the choice of which one to use every time you turn on the computer) and the second choice is to completely remove Windows and start fresh with Linux.

If you have the partition to dual boot both Windows and Linux, everything you have on Windows (programs and files) are safe, but you can only access them when running Windows.

If you have it install Linux to the whole hard drive, it does completely format (meaning erase) Windows including all of your programs and files. (So you would want to back them up first like copying software setup files and your files and folders to a writable DVD or something and then put them onto Linux later.)

To state again, the programs and files stick with the operating system; get rid of the OS and you get rid of the programs too, but you can choose to keep Windows.

An important note: Windows programs are not the same as Linux programs. They are different types of files. A Windows program will not install (by default) on Linux. (Though I want to clarify that specific document files, like Word documents or music, will run on Linux.) You will be able to install most Linux software you need from an install manager inside the OS, but installing other software can be tricky depending on how it's formatted. You can actually install some Windows software on Linux, but that's only after installing a compatibility-layer program called Wine.

What type of video card to install in Linux

2008-07-21T04:45:00.001-07:00

What is an important feature in determining what type of video card to install in Linux?

The most important feature to consider when installing a device (of any kind) in Linux (or other OS) is the device compatibility.

This information can be obtained from the parties responsible for the particular distribution that you opt to use (Fedora, openSuSE, Ubuntu, Linspire, etc.). Check the distributions website (FAQs, Wikis) for driver compatibility and kernel support.

The best desktop linux to get

2008-07-21T04:44:00.001-07:00

What is the best desktop linux to get?

Here is my list, having been running GNU/Linux since 1997:

Beginners and noobs, who want an easy, 'hands free' version, all should get http://pclinuxos.com and if this liveCDrom with 5,000 games and programs fits your needs, you press the 'Install PCLinuxOS' button!

You want to tell it, in the partitioning part, that you want to create a second partition, for PCLinuxOS, and, a third one of about your memory size up to 1Gb, for the memory swap file.

Second choice, for more advanced users, is http://kubuntu.org

Installs of any second OS, with re-partitioning of the hard drive, requires that you FIRST, in Windows, de-frag and clean up the drive!

You will find that you don't have to administer the system, like you do in Windows (about an hour every 20 hours of use, per computer!), with Microsoft having 150,000 Virus Definitions, and the spyware, adware, pop-ups, core vulnerabilities, that plagues Windows!

Linux will be a real relief! Plus, GNU/Linux uses all the same tools as MAC OS X (based upon another Unix, Darwin BSD!) that are maintenance free!

http://lugww.counter.li.org has 700 FREE clubs, so there is probably one in your area!

Free advise and help is ALWAYS there, at the forums for each distro! Linux is what 76% of all Internet servers, including Microsoft.com and hotmail.com (15,000 Linux Servers for EACH!), and Google.com (100,000 servers!) run!